Delta Dental Plans Association recently issued survey results showing that workers with employer-sponsored dental benefits are more likely to visit their dentists for checkups than other workers.

For example, 83% of participants with dental benefits visit the dentist twice or more a year, compared to 63% of consumers who pay out of pocket for their dental benefits or dental care. Moreover, employed adults lose more than 64 million hours of work each year due to dental disease or dental visits.

The not-for-profit group, which polled 900 consumers aged 25 and older, found that nearly 60% of respondents have dental benefits, with 12% paying for voluntary benefits offered by their employer, and 88% receiving coverage through an employer-paid group dental plan.

Other key findings from the survey included:

• Consumers consider dental benefits to be a "very important" part of the essential benefits package, along with medical coverage, retirement benefits and prescription drug coverage.

• Consumers want their dental benefits to be easy to use, allow them to use their personal dentist and include several coverage options of which the most important is preventive care, such as teeth cleanings and X-rays.

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